


Move On

by Ladyhawk_lhflu



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:37:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3419621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyhawk_lhflu/pseuds/Ladyhawk_lhflu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Han moves on after breaking up with Leia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Move On

**Author's Note:**

> This is old. I wrote it around 2000 or so. But I hope it still can entertain someone.

I watch my students going through their exercises with a distracted eye. Today my mind is only partially focused on the young minds I seek to mold in the ways of the Force. Because Han is coming here.

News arrived ahead of him in the form of a message from Leia. Han is no longer the man in my sister's life. It seems the politics became too much for him. Leia has quite a bit to do now that the New Republic put her in charge of it all. My sister, leader of the Republic. It suits her. But because of it, Han was left out in the cold.

So he comes to me. I knew he would. It was practically destined by the Force. But it was a shock to him. I could feel it when he made the decision to come to me, to try to face up to what had happened to him and Leia. And something more.

It's nagged at the back of his mind since we've met, I know. But he was never willing to admit it. So I'll have to hide what I feel. He's not ready. He has to get over Leia first.

So I wander over to the landing area next to my makeshift training facility in the Tatooine desert. The Millenium Falcon is just making her descent as I walk near the pad. I stop at the edge and wait as the ramp lowers.

"Rowwr!" Chewbacca practically jumps on me as he races down the ramp. I grab him in a fierce hug of welcome. 

"How are you, Chewie?" But even as I say those words, my eyes drift toward the man coming toward us. 

"Hiya, kid." Although Leia warned me that the breakup was hard for him, I had no reason to expect the sight of the shattered man before me. He is bedraggled, and as scruffy-looking as Leia once accused him of being. And he's lost weight. I sigh internally as I realize how much it takes for this man to ask for help. But I smile outwardly.

"Hi, Han. I'm glad you could come see my home." I grab him in a brief but strong hug. 

"Thanks kid. But why Tatooine?" I watch as Han looks around at my old home and watches the students. Weariness has left its mark upon his face.

"Actually, this used to be my uncle's homestead. It's away from everything, including the Hutts. This part of Tatooine is mostly humans and jawas. It seemed a safe place to bring my students."

A few moments later, we say goodbye to Chewie, who is heading back to Coruscant for negotiations concerning his homeworld. Han looks lost as the Falcon takes off, so I pull him toward the main house, my childhood home. Surrounding it are adobe huts where the students sleep. I steer Han into the house, to the back and my old room.

"You can stay in here, Han. This used to be my room." I watch as he drops his bag onto the floor. "Why don't you get some rest? You look worn out."

Han nods absently. I can see he's going to actually listen to me for once, so I leave him to his rest. 

As I work with my youngest student, Qara, on her history lessons, my mind constantly shifts to Han. I have to work to keep my mind clear and not let my feelings overwhelm me. That could make matters worse. But what I feel for him. . .Well, I've buried it deep until now because I didn't want to interfere with his relationship with Leia.

But now that things have changed...well, being a Jedi doesn't mean denying being human, does it? I'll have to move cautiously though, after he starts to heal.

I smile at Qara as she finishes reciting her lesson. "Very good. Now why don't you practice with Certh?" Certh Badoon is one of my older students, who helps the younger ones with the first steps in channeling the Force. Qara runs off with a yelp of glee. Certh is fun to be with. The young ones love him dearly.

And I am left alone to wander the sands, trying to figure out how best to help my friend without hurting him as well.

\---------------------------------------------------

Some time later, I look up from helping with dinner as the Force nudges me and directs my attention behind me. "Hi, Han. Sleep well?"

His hair is tousled and his eyes are barely open but his general demeanor tells me that the rest did him some good. "Yeah, thanks. What's cooking? It smells good."

I smile at at him and immediately wave him over to the table and an empty plate. "You don't want to know. Just trust me that it's good stuff."

He looks at me with a narrowed glance then grins slightly. "Ok. Thanks kid."

I fill his plate and sit down across from him with my own. A silent request to my students has them filtering out of the kitchen. Han watches them then looks at me suspiciously. "You didn't have to make them leave."

"They have things to do. And you came here to talk to me, didn't you?" I try to reassure him with my eyes.

"Yeah. But it's kind of weird. I've always felt like we belong together, the three of us. And you're her brother. . ." Han stares at his plate as he says this.

"We're both your friends though. That will never change. I know Leia pushed you to come here."

"Yeah. I think I scared her. I've never been this bad after a break-up." He is practically ignoring his food as his mind is swamped with emotions. But right now, I feel that the food is more important. I need to get him healthy, then help him with the emotional baggage. So I nudge his mind slightly with the Force and am gratified when he picks up his fork and starts eating.

"Leia isn't like the women you've been with before, though, is she?" I say this carefully, not wanting it to sound like a jab at his character.

"No, she isn't. She--She actually respects me."

"You've become a respectable man, Han."

"Yeah, I guess." Whatever is troubling him makes him put down his fork and turn away from me.

"Han?"

"Ah, kid. What did I do to her?" His head falls into his hands as I hear a low groan emerge from his mouth.

"She went into the relationship willingly, Han. It just seems like you two. . .have conflicting interests. Politics just isn't your game. It isn't mine either, for that matter."

"I should've seen it. She deserves better."

"Better than you? She might need someone different than you, but certainly not better. You have done your best to take care of her, make her happy. . ."

"But it wasn't enough." Han gets up and stares out the window at the sand.

"Leia felt the same way. She wanted to be able to give you more. She just couldn't, not the way the New Republic is now." I go to stand next to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. "You have to move on, Han."

"It's hard, kid. I never had to get over something like this before."

"I'm here."

"Thanks, Luke. But you should get back to your students. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" I don't know if I should trust him, but I don't know what else to do. I can't keep him under lock and key. He'd bolt if I did that. 

"Yeah. I just need to think." He smiles at me weakly, but determinedly. So I decide to leave him to his thoughts, for now.

\---------------------------------------------------

Over the next few days, Han and I talk a lot about the past. How we met, our daring escapes, the bond between the three of us. 

Once, as we watch some students going through defense training, I find out how badly my friend could torture himself. "I hurt the two of you, didn't I? I got between you. I know, I should've let you get to know each other better. I took your sister away from you."

This is so out of character for my over-confident friend that for a minute I just look at him in shock. Then I find my voice again. "Why in the Force would you think that?!"

His face takes on a blank look. "I just wanted...Blast it!" The look changes to one of frustration. And sorrow. "Hell, I thought I was doing the right thing at the time."

I want to reach out with the Force, to find out what he's hiding. But I can't. It's too intrusive. I wouldn't want to shake his trust in me. So I settle for a calming voice. "Tell me."

"Uh, I can't Luke." At that he walks away. I watch him turn back toward me slightly after a few meters. His face is a mixture of frutration and something else. Something else that before, I only saw when he gazed at Leia. And in that second I know. 

I'm not alone anymore.

\---------------------------------------------------

My realization doesn't make my situation any easier. Han is still getting over Leia. I don't want to rush him. So I keep my thoughts to myself. I keep myself occupied with my meditation, my students, and helping Han switch his musings from the past to the future.

With a little prompting, Han starts spouting ideas for his new life. He talks of shipping from the New Republic to the Outer Rim Territories. Especially to Tatooine. With all my preparation with the Academy, I didn't realize that the Hutts have slowly been filtering off the planet and leaving their staffs and slaves stranded. Jabba must have been holding a lot of the smuggling activities together. With him gone, the others could no longer support their operations.

Han's plan is to help the stranded people rebuild. As soon as he says this, I jump on the idea, offering my help, and that of some of my students. And I hope.

A couple days later, I send my older students with Han to scout out the situation on the other side of the planet in small ships and speeders. The younger students I send to Leia on Coruscant, for an in-depth history lesson concerning the past and present state of the Republic.

I use the time alone to meditate and exercise. I am running across the sand near the homestead when I suddenly sense a presence near me. I grab my lightsaber as I turn toward the being.

Han.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I just came back to get your permission to let the students stay at the slave quarters near Mos Oso for a day or two. They're already making a lot of progress over there."

I wipe the sweat off my bare chest and grin to myself as Han's eyes follow the path of the towel. I subtly shift to give him the best view. "That's fine. I could use a rest."

His eyes shift away. "Well, then, I guess I'll head back there."

I watch him for a second before figuring it's now or never. "Han, stay." I hold out my hand toward him.

"I don't want to disturb you. I can go make some contacts. . ." Nervousness crawls through his frame until his eyes meet mine. Where I try to make my message as clear as possible before I say the words.

"Han, I want you here. Leia isn't the only one who has loved you." I grasp the hand that has moved toward mine and smile.

"Luke? What? Oh." I see him smile as my words sink in. "I thought it was just me. It was driving me crazy."

"I know. But I love you. So now what?" I calmly wait for him to make a decision. I've already made mine.

"Uh, well." I see the desire flit across his face, but nervousness holds him still. It seems that I have to make the first move.

So I pull on his hand until he comes to me. Then I draw his face down to mine for a slow kiss. When I pull back, Han's looking slightly bewildered, but happier than I've seen him in awhile.

"Come on. Let's go inside." I wrap my arm around his shoulder and lead him to the master bedroom of the main house.

The confident man I know and love begins to reemerge as I close the door and turn to him. "I love you too, you know, Luke." He pulls me to him for a heady kiss. His hands wander over my body as I reach to get rid of his shirt. 

"I know, Han. I've always known." I pull him onto the bed and move to finish undressing him.

"Lying to myself was hard enough all these years. I guess trying to hide it from you got me nowhere." The light in those hazel eyes changes as he accepts my words, and his own. Passion and joy lift the last of the haunted look that has plagued him since he first arrived here.

He laughs as I strip off my pants and cover his body with mine.

"What?"

"I never expected Jedi to be so passionate."

I smile as I move my hands down his length, making him groan. "I haven't lost my passion, Han. I've just tempered it a bit. And channelled it."

I procede to show him my channeling ability by pouring my all into the caresses that flow over his body. My touch quickly has him gritting his teeth. He's already close.

"Don't hold back, Han. Give me everything. Let me give you everything." I rub my body against his and just as sensations overwhelm me, I feel Han jerk against me and wetness on my stomach. I hold him as our breathing settles.

After a few minutes, Han's eyes meet mine. A calm contentment is written on his face. But a small doubt must remain because he questions me. "What now?"

I smile at him and put those doubts to rest. "We move on. Together."


End file.
